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Modern Jewish History and Thought

Module description

The module will provide you with an understanding of the diversity and debates present in modern Jewish history and thought. Focusing largely on the 19^th century to the present, you will be introduced to the challenges posed to Jewish communities by modern ideas of rationalism, nationalism, and gender-equality, also highlighting the evolution of antisemitism, Zionism, and responses to the Holocaust. Interdisciplinary in nature, this module resonates with the study of theology and religion, history, and many other subjects in humanities and social sciences. There are no prerequisites and you are not expected to have any prior knowledge of Judaism in the modern period.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to:

• provide you with an understanding of diversity and change in Jewish thought over the last two centuries, including how this relates to both pre-existing forms of rabbinic Judaism and wider historical developments during the period;
• give you the tools to critically navigate debates about the evolution and definition of antisemitism, the context of Zionism’s origins and its historical development, and the meaning of the Holocaust for late-20^th and 21^st century Judaism;
• convey the key differences between Orthodox, ultra-Orthodox, non-Orthodox, and non-religious forms of Jewish identity, including their varied views on issues such as gender-equality and 19^th century rationalism
• highlight some of the key complexities in the changing relationships between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and their consequences for modern politics and history; 
• provide you with the skills to discuss and write on sometimes contentious topics, including those that prompt us to reconsider familiar concepts of religion and identity.  

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Describe in writing some of the key variations of Jewish identity and thought since the early 19th century
• 2. Demonstrate an understanding of how anti-Jewish prejudice has manifested and evolved during the last two centuries, and how this has impacted Jewish thought
• 3. Research how wider historical processes and events have impacted Jewish communities and their relationships with other groups

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Research the role history, religious tradition, and community identities play in shaping modern Judaism
• 5. Demonstrate an awareness of how definitions of religiosity, secularity, and prejudicial behaviour can and have been contested

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Shape detailed information into a clear written account, with some guidance
• 7. Show coherence and rigour in argument
• 8. Analyse written sources, with some guidance
• 9. With guidance, address controversial topics with sensitivity and nuance

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Rabbinic Judaism before modernity
• Religious-secular diversity in modern Judaism
• Judaism in modern Britain
• Gender in modern Judaism
• Antisemitism – its manifestations and definitions
• Zionism – its history and evolution
• Jewish responses to the Holocaust
• Changes in modern Jewish/non-Jewish relations

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Judith R. Baskin and Kenneth Seeskin (eds.), The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010).

• Dean Phillip Bell (ed.), The Bloomsbury Companion to Jewish Studies (London: Bloomsbury, 2013).
• Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Judaism Today (London: Continuum, 2010).
• Lloyd Gartner, History of the Jews in Modern Times (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001). 
• Nicholas de Lange and Miri Freud-Kandel (eds.), Modern Judaism: An Oxford Guide (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
• Paul Mendes-Flohr and Jehuda Reinhartz (eds.), The Jew in the Modern World: A Documentary History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995).
• Hilary L. Rubinstein, Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Abraham J. Edelheit and William D. Rubinstein, The Jews in the Modern World: A History Since 1750 (London: Arnold, 2002).